Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-28

in. In October of the same year, he was ap-
pointed postmaster at Stockton. During
his residence there he was elected president
of the board of trustees of the Stockton In
sane Asylum. He was also serving as Adiu-
tant-G General of the Third Brigade and Cap
! tain of the Stockton Blues. He was treas
urer of the Joachim Agricultural Society,
being charter member of that association
Besides holding these offices he owned and
managed the Stockton Water Works; also
holding a contract of nlnety-nine and odd
thousand dollars to build the foundation of
the State Capitol at Sacramento. He was
| afterwards released from this contract,
however, by the Legislature of 1861 and '62,
being ordered to Utah with his command at
that time. General Conner was also en-
gagged in grading the streets of Stockton
with gravel from his ranch two miles from
the city. His income then was over Sc, 900 q
year.
Upon the outbreak of the civil war, Cap
tain Conner at once rendered his services to
him Colonel of the Third California In
fantry. His command was stationed at
Benicia Barracks, California, during the
winter of 1861 and '62, pending transfer to
Utah, where to the surprise of the volunteers
it was ordered, instead of to the
South as had been anticipated
when they enlisted. But what
ever of disappointment may have been felt
Colonel Common was too much of soldier
to express any. In May, 1862, Colonel Con
nor and his regiment were ordered to Utah
His command, embracing $50 men, consisted
of the Third California Infantry, and foul
companies of the Second California Cav
airy. He commenced his his march for that
Territory in July, 1862 On assuming COM
nd f tho Y,oilIitarxy dIofriot IF Utah he
issued the following military order:
HEADQUARTERS, DISTRICT OF UTAH. /
Fort CHURCHILL, Nevada, August 6, 1862. J
ORDER No. 1.-The undersigned, pursuant
to orders from Department Headquarters
hereby assumes command of the Military
District of Utah, comprising the Territories
os Nevada and Utah.
In assuming command of the district
especially enjoin upon all discussing officers
the necessity of being particularly attentive,
careful and economical in their disburse-
ments of the public funds; and that they in
no instance purchase from persons who have
at at any time, by word or act, manifested
disloyalty to the Federal Government.
Being credibly informed that there are in
this district persons who, while claiming
and receiving protection in life and prop
erty, are endeavoring to destroy and defame
the principles and institutions of our Gov
eminent, under whose benign influence they
have been so long protected; it is therefore
most rigidly enforced upon all commanders
of posts, camps and detachments, to cause
to be promptly arrested ond closely confined
until they have taken the oath of allegiance
to the Government of the United States, all
persons from this date who shall be guilty
of uttering reasonable sentiments against
this Government; and upon repetition of the
! ofense shall be arrested aud confined until
the fact shall be communicated to these
headquarters. Traitors shall not utter
reasonable sentiments in this district with
IMMUNITY, but uIust seek some more genial
soil, or receive the punishment they so
richly merit.
By order of 2. EDWARD Common,
Col. 3rd Infantry, @. V. Com. Dist. of Utah.
JAMES W. STILLMAN, A. A. A. General.
This strong declaration was an earnest
that Colonel Connor's course with the Nor
mons would not be like that of Johnston,
who in 1858 had been compelled by them,
although surrounded by 5000 men, to enter
winter quarters in the mountains, and. who
in the following spring, was forced by a
treaty made by Commissioners Mccullough
and Kane, appointed by President Bu-
chanan, not to locate his camp within forty
miles of Salt Lake City.
The volunteers were encamped temper
arily at Ruby Valley, and the men began to
express great dissatisfaction with their des-
tination. They were extremely anxious to
60 go East and participate in suppressing
the rebellion. They voluntarily agreed to
! allow the paymaster to withhold a large
portion of their pay, provided they were
transferred to the seat of war. The sums
that individuals agreed to contribute were
very large; the majority of the men agreed
to forego all their pay; second heutenants
volunteered to surrender 800 to $500; first
lieutenants from $500 to $500; captains
from $500 to $500, and one man, Corporal
Goldthwaite, of Company 6, subscribed
$780, AS a result Colonel Connor sent the
following dispatch to Gen. Halleck with the
consent of Gen. Geo. Wright, commanding
Department of the Pacific:
Major General Hallech, Secretary Of Var,
Washington, d. c.:
The Third Infantry, Cal. Vols, has been
IN service one year, and marched 600 miles;
it is well differed and thoroughly drilled is
OF no Service on the Overland Mail Route,
as there is cavalry sufficient for its protec-
tion in Utah District. The regiment will
authorize the paymaster to withhold $4,000
OF pay no due if the Government will order
it East; and it pledges Gen. Halleck never
to disgrace the flag, himself or California
The men enlisted to fight traitors and can
do so more effectively than raw recruits; and
ask that they may at least be placed on the
same footing in regard to transportation.
If the above sum is insufficient, we will pay
our own passages from San Francisco to
Panama.
By request of the Regiment,
P. EDw. CoNNoR,
Col. Commanding.
RUBY VALLEY, N. t., Sept. "a, 1862.
By the middle of October the volunteers
advanced to Fort Crittenden. This post,
some times called Camp Floyd, which had
been the former encampment of .. s. troops,
was erected at an expenditure of $1,000, 0O0,
but the property was afterwards sold to
private parties for little more than a song.
anxious to have Col. Conner buy the
property and make his headquarters there.
Indeed, while on the march to Utah, Colonel
Conner had often been solicited to make the
purchase, by agents of the owners, who felt
that, under the pressure of near approach
ing winter, necessity would compel him to
take these quarters already prepared
Among the owners were Mormons, who did
not scruple to endeavOr to intimidate the
Colonel into compliance, by melting the
Mormon community to an uprising against
the troops. A certain chief of the Danties
was especially active in this way: he was re-
ported to have ridden through the streets
of Salt Lake, offering to bet $500 that the
troops would never cross the Jordan and
found no takers. But they were dealing
with the wrong man; all their buster did
not avail to turn Colonel Conner from his
purpose. In spite of threatening rumors
that the Mormons would never allow the
troops to approach nearer their city than
the river Jordan, he left Fort Crittenden,
crossed the Jordan, without opposition, and
marched straight into Salt Lake City, to the
atonishment and CONSERVATION of the Nor
mons, who, lining the sidewalks and filling
the windows and roofs, silently watched the
progress of the troops. The command
halted in the very heart of the city before